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The Consensus Conference was held in the
Institute of Public Health "Dr Milan
Jovanovic - Batut". It was an occasion
for the public hearings of the National
Strategy for Palliative Care prior to
the official passing. The main
participants included Prof Dr. Tomica
Milosavljevic, Serbian Minister of
Health, Dr. Tanja Knezevic, Director of
the Institute of Public Health, Dr.
Melita Vujnocic, Director of WHO office
in Serbia among others.
The Strategy for Palliative Care, as a
document of national importance, is part
of a wider strategy examining the
development of the health care system in
Serbia. As such, this presents a means
to mobilise not just the health sector
but all other stakeholders in society
that are involved in palliative care
programs.
The main reasons for enacting this
strategy are the increasing needs for
this special type of health care that
were generated as a consequence of an
aging society and the increase in the
number of new patients suffering from
the illnesses with a progressive course
(cardio vascular, cancer, diabetes,
neuromuscular, cerebral vascular)
HIV/AIDS, traffic traumatism etc.
BELhospice's director, Dr Natasa
Milicevic, also attended this conference
in her capacity as a member of the State
Experts Committee for Palliative Care
that is in charge of the draft proposal
of the National Strategy. During a
discussion, Dr Natasa submitted a number
of observations and remarks to the draft
text of the National Strategy in order
to improve and complement the Strategy
with the sole concept of palliative care
as well as with the Recommendations of
the Council of Europe (Rec (2003) 24).
This mostly regarded the wider
involvement of NGOs into the State
Health Care System of Serbia through the
provision of palliative care services.
In that way, NGOs would be able with
their own capacities to complement the
existing State Health Care System
through the provision of palliative care
and doing so to enable patients in
Serbia that are in real need better
access to palliative care.
Here you can download the Draft text of
the National Strategy for Palliative
Care along with the observations and
remarks made by Dr Natasa Milicevic.
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